1964_2

7 hours ago, Garbo said:

Hasn’t been in the best half of the team for 3 weeks now, have to admit I’m getting concerned if he doesn’t lift soon. So far as I can tell he doesn’t appear to be carrying any injuries and had a full pre season.

So you think a 5 time All Australian, who is fully fit, has suddenly forgotten how to play? 
 

On 3/29/2022 at 6:21 PM, Steamin Demon said:

Two games in and I'm seeing a few concerning signs from our Premiership Captain. 

- Dropping marks he'd normally swallow

- Continued bewilderment at ruck infringements

- The misjudging of flight. The Doggies game especially. 

- He's smiling/carefree attitude towards his mistakes. Dogs game again.

I accept it's early but the early signs from Max this year aren't great. Is the rise of Jackson affecting his game? 

Lets hope he has a blinder this week and gets some of his aerial confidence back. 

 

Have you thought or considered how good it is to have a skipper, who is focused on the team, and the development of Jacko, rather than solely focused on his own performance / maximising his time in the ruck?!

keep doing everything you do Max:-  dominating! 

9 hours ago, Sideshow Bob said:

On merit we're a 6 goal+ better team...

My MFCSS unfortunately still runs deep - this feels like a danger game. If we bring the sam intensity as the GC game - lookout game on and... who knows

These [censored] seem to get the better of us... maybe I'm still scarred from Hird pulling 2 out of his butt in the last minute to beat us in 99 (or 2000 or around then anyway) but I hate them with a passion and would rather be weary of them than overconfident and only bring 70% effort

Also think it’s a big danger game. 

The fear of going 0-3 will have their intensity up. If we are complacent, could drop this one.

17 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

The pessimism isn't my editing. 

From 'Bomberblitz':

• I think the Dees will be a bit flat coming back from the GC on a six day break. If we bring today’s effort, we should give a good account for ourselves, but the Demons will do enough and win by 3-4 goals
• We haven’t been 0-3 since 1967
• we are going to get completely obliterated no matter who we put on the park.  heppell on fritsch is the stuff of nightmares
• For gods sake, can someone please just start a COVID outbreak at the hanger so 38 players are in health and safety protocols and the AFL call the game off?
• Going to be brutal. Oliver and Petracca are going to get 50 touches each and Brown will kick 10.

• merrett out only takes the margin from 60 to 80 points
• Who cares whos in…we have a bottom six that should be in the vfl but are playing so…Dees will smash us.
• With our unbelievable decision that we are so good we don’t need to use taggers, Petracca must be really looking forward to this week’s game. His main concern would be leather poisoning.
• ANNOUNCE HS PROTOCOLS FOR MELBOURNES BEST 22.

The most hopeful comments:

• I think the Dees will be a bit flat coming back from the GC on a six day break. If we bring today’s effort, we should give a good account for ourselves, but the Demons will do enough and win by 3-4 goals.
• We’ll see. We beat them in a great Friday night game at the MCG in 2019. Lost narrowly in a dead rubber game for both clubs (at Metricon) in 2020 and then pressed them deep into the last quarter in our game last year before eventually going down by 11 points. Some questionable decisions also went their way in the second half. We know they’re a terrific team but I don’t think we are going to be overawed.

From 'Bigfooty':

• Just want to see us be competitive and have someone run with Petracca. Cant believe Truck's comments about not tagging Neale. Horror draw to start the season but doesn't seem we were ready for the season anyway.
• There's a real stench about the team, which to me, has come out of nowhere given how positive last season was. Old habits are back, unfortunately. This will be a big loss and will effectively kill off the season
• It’s the stench of having sky high expectations, the second most difficult fixture in the league, and a team full of babies expected to pull off a miracle.
• I think we’ll go okay this week. I kind of hope shiel is out for another week so we get to see a pure midfield game from caldwell. If lever doesn’t play again this week the game will be a lot closer than many predict.
• I'm not all doom and gloom like it seems so many others are here, we're still a very inexperienced team who only beat one top 8 team last year, playing Geelong, Brisbane and Melbourne to start the year is no free ride even though the effort in Round 1 was poor. Like it's been mentioned already we won several key areas on the weekend so if we bring a similar output and convert a bit better there's no reason we can't compete and finish within 5 goals.

To their credit I didn't see any disrespect.  Probably just grudging respect.  A bit of humour here and there was refereshing.

They sound similar to Dees supporters a few years ago :- a bit worn down after years without finals 

37 point win, including resting some stars in the final 10 minutes.

Relaxing evening to come 

On 3/16/2022 at 11:46 PM, binman said:

He literally laughed at the hunter palaver.

How good was that. He basically dismissed Hunter as irrelevant to any pre game planning. 

I am not sure there could be greater evidence that we have got the edge (mental, physical, ability etc) over the dogs, than the coach irrationally losing the plot and abusing and bullying a journalist at the press conference.

What a time to be alive!

go demons 

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We’re moving the ball too quick and playing pairs of talls (I count Fritsch as a tall) deep. We need to ease back the speed of ball movement just a bit, spread the ball more and get it in to the talls as the smalls come in. Plus starting a small deeper at times would help as well. 

Please take your pills, go have a lie down, and then watch the replay of the Grand final. 

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Don’t be childish. We have an exceptional best 22. We haven’t done enough to turn over the 24-32 spots on the list at a crucial time where a couple of good mature body role players could be vital. 

Might be worth reviewing the trades / list changes of all clubs last year. If you cant be bothered, I will let you know. There was next to no trade related activity. 

It is actually a massive positive that guys like Weid, Melksham and co, have hung around in the hope that they can get a game, rather than going to a weaker club where they could be starting 22.  How you can spin this as a negative astounds me. 

22 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We played just about the same 23 players for the entire year last year!

Remember in 2020 when we went to Cairns on a short break and had to throw depth players in and we stunk?

Brisbane by a mile, Port, the Dogs, even Geelong have far better depth than us. Collingwood might too, they aren’t a complete team but have plenty of useful options.

Essendon and Hawthorn are finding ready to go talent in the SPP or midseason drafts. Durham, Bramble, Newcombe, Baldwin etc.

I’m not expecting superstars, just useful players rather than than carrying guys we know the coaches don’t even want to pick.

 

ok buddy. All looking pretty grim really isn't it. We looking good for the spoon this year

21 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Dunstan might bulk it up a bit but otherwise no, we don't have exceptional midfield depth. 

The players we roll through to relieve Oliver, Petracca and Viney are good but not great (think Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon). The Dogs have significantly more depth (Bontempelli, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter).

Our best mids are elite, but we go from elite to pedestrian as you go down the list a bit too quickly to warrant the word "exceptional".

Also please don't forget Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon and ANB do a significant amount of defensive work, which includes covering for Petracca, Oliver opponents, allowing them to be more attacking. Hence a 15 possession game from the likes of Sparrow, is far more valuable to the team that it looks on paper.

17 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Dunstan might bulk it up a bit but otherwise no, we don't have exceptional midfield depth. 

The players we roll through to relieve Oliver, Petracca and Viney are good but not great (think Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon). The Dogs have significantly more depth (Bontempelli, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter).

Our best mids are elite, but we go from elite to pedestrian as you go down the list a bit too quickly to warrant the word "exceptional".

Some posters on this site have short memories. Sook up and get negative after a practice game. 

Pathetic. 

You don't include a bloke who came third in the Brownlow (as an inside midfielder) as part of the depth..      strange. 

Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Harmes, Sparrow, Jordon, Dunstan, Jackson (yes he counts as a midfielder when playing in the middle) are far superior in every way to Bont, Macrae, Libba, Treloar, Smith, Dunkley, Hunter

And don't forget Salem, Kozzy, Brayshaw and multiple others more than capable of running through the middle if we needed "depth" 

That's 11 more than capable midfielders and we apparently lack depth. Please, give it a rest. 

Please post this same junk after we touch up the dogs round 1. 

4 minutes ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

I disagree.

A midfielder that got 10-11 Brownlow votes from half a season last year, cant even make our top 27-28 = exceptional depth. 

7 minutes ago, Hannibal Inc. said:

It all starts at the source and the midfield was spanked.

We lack a little depth and class there, which we can cope with if all play really well, but if one or two drop off (like Viney) then we can get exposed.

We have exceptional midfield depth. 

"but if one or two drop off then we can get exposed"     yes, the same as any AFL/VFL team that has played in the last 150 years. 

5 minutes ago, 58er said:

Goody's "hate affair" with Lockhart and his treatment is completely OPPOSITE to Joel Smith. Nearly fell off my chair just now when Goody said Joel ( and Tommo who was ok ) put together nice games and were fighting for Harry Petty's spot.Last night should have ruled out Smithy as all he did was fly in the air with about 3 others ( even got some frequent flyers points but no votes!) and never got to the contest.
 Chandler as Vineytime suggests could Perhaps train as a back pocket type as I can't really  see him making it as a half forward. Can kick the ball a long way also! Refer last week vs North.

I'll be surprised if one Demonlander doesn't put his 2 cents worth on my post sometime today! 
 

 

yep, have seen little evidence that Smith has the smarts to be the player we want him to be. 

Happy to be proven wrong though

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

If we can afford to pay Melk to play we could afford to pay him out and scrape together the money for an extra draft pick. 

I don’t even have to see these guys play at lower levels. They never get picked at afl level! The coaches are letting us all know loud and clear that Chandler, Smith and Hunt are about the best we’ve got outside the 23.

Laurie’s got some moves but he’s sub 180 without speed. Don’t need to watch him play to know it’s hard to get an afl gig on the flank as a young player with that combination. He’ll get fitter and stronger in time. 

My issue isn’t the first and second year kids, they need time. It’s the lack of list turnover from fringe players that doesn’t make sense to me.

You have genuinely lost the plot. No AFL team has 40 players capable of contributing at AFL level, EVER. 

Our depth is a strength, and greater than any other team. 

12 minutes ago, A F said:

Difficult to gauge how much to take from that. We were putrid, sloppy with the ball in hand, dropped marks, poor kicking etc, but they were very impressive.

Hunt, Smith and Baker in the backline was a recipe for disaster, but worse was our intensity around the contest and our inability to shut down opposition switches.

Were we playing safe with our bodies to ensure we're there Round 1? Who knows, but if we play anywhere near that level against the Bulldogs, they'll wipe the floor with us. Most teams would have today. 

I wish someone would tell Viney every week is a final, because he's such a good finals player.

What is wrong with demons supporters? 3 words :- pre-season game!!

Being at the ground tonight I saw absolutely nothing to be worried about. 

We played bruise free footy (which you can’t blame a premiership team for, in a pre-season game) against a team who has been a constant disappointment, Looking to get their season off on the right note.

I saw nothing tonight to suggest we will by less than 30 points in our R22 game

27 minutes ago, kallangurdemon said:

A disappointing night ,Our good players will continue to be good but there is little to get excited about with those fringe players who got a chance tonight .hunt still has no idea how to do anything but run at one pace in a straight line ,Cant he learn to step or swerve or even vary his pace .?He get picked off so easily laterally when he runs with the ball .Baker  is not good or hard enough ,Tomlinson is so slow as he has had only 10 months to get over his ACL and needs half a season at Casey.The ball continues to bounce off Weeds hands as it has done for the past 3 seasons.Spargo seems to be revisiting his 2019 form. Our best 22 will give the flag a shake but heaven help us if we get sa bad run of injuries.

Get a grip mate :- you have missed the concept of “practice match” 

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

I'm annoyed that we've knowingly kept 3+ list cloggers on our list rather than gone and chased midfield, half back and half forward depth. Players that you can find in the state leagues and players that other teams have found in the SPP period. Not much we can do about that now though.

Game plan wise I maintain that we just aren't sharing and running with the ball to full capacity. Everything is too straight lines and bomb it. That worked last year, but you have to adapt and build.

Bowey, Lever and Tomlinson started to settle down in the 2nd half, that was good to see. With more quality back in against the Dogs the backline should be far better. 

Midfield probably couldn't play much worse. Oliver and Petracca do play such a physical style though so I can see why if they're a little bit off they kind of drop away. Just not convinced by our depth though. JJ was a great story last year but he's kind of meh. And Sparrow unfortunately doesn't look to really have made a big leap. And Harmes in Harmes, useful, but not exactly getting any better.

Forward line is the real worry though. Ben Brown fell back down to earth after a great effort last week. Jackson hasn't made a lot of progress in terms of clunking marks and it can't be easy having to switch positions so much. And Tom McDonald is so feast or famine from contest to contest. You just don't know if he'll clunk a mark or hit a target or if he'll let his man gallop away from him with ease.

What an embarrassingly poor post.

have a spell DeeSpecer, and wake up to the reality of the importance of pre-season games 

3 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

I have my rnd 1 team based on the practice game. It's a bit controversial as I don't have Bowey in the 22.

B: J.Smith, May, Lever

HB: Salem, Tomlinson, Hibberd

C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon

HF: Neal-Bullen, McDonald, Pickett

F: Fritsch, B.Brown, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

IC: Harmes, Jackson, Rivers, Sparrow

SUB: Bowey

backline & midfield depth is off the charts. 

If Weid/JVR step up, and one of the developing wingers, we will have first class depth all over the ground. Which hopefully keeps everyone hungry & fighting hard to keep their spot (or break into the team) 

58 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

I have my rnd 1 team based on the practice game. It's a bit controversial as I don't have Bowey in the 22.

B: J.Smith, May, Lever

HB: Salem, Tomlinson, Hibberd

C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon

HF: Neal-Bullen, McDonald, Pickett

F: Fritsch, B.Brown, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

IC: Harmes, Jackson, Rivers, Sparrow

SUB: Bowey

Smith Sub, Bowey back pocket and I think you have the rest spot on. 

13 minutes ago, dworship said:

I disagree, Clarry is an awkward  but likeable soul who may not have a "public" persona that suits the media but what you get is authentic and honest. Too me that makes him likable and in some ways,  unusual.

Likeable for us, not so much for opposition supporters. 

2 hours ago, binman said:

I do.

But each to their own

I went, and watched  the replay for good measure, and thought he was super impressive.

In my opinion comfortably ahead of Tomlinson at this point.

Easy to forget he played in a semi final and would have almost certainly played in a prelim and grand final if not for his hammy nick

Binman love your views, but might be worth going back and watching tommo’s form pre doing his knee last year!  Lost 0 1-on-1’s in total games to that point. 

Tommo is km’s ahead of Smith :- only question is whether he will need to ease back into things post his acl. 
 

29 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Can't say that I am as downbeat as that with Richmond and Geelong as they have a bit of talent coming through; its about managing the transition. 

But lets say they do struggle then some currently not so successful clubs will become so. 

Genuine question:  which do you consider to be successful clubs in the next 2-5 years.

I don’t have much confidence in being able to forecast that far away, but for the sake of the exercise.

Melb, dogs, Port, Bris, Syd

Agree that Rich partly depends on the ability to transition, but think they be out of the 8 from 2023. And cats definitely outside the 8 after this year (5-8th this year)

Essendon, St.Kilda, Carlton, GWS, Freo could go either way.

What are you thinking regarding successful teams over next 2-5 years?

57 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Not sure I would assume only struggling clubs will be interested.  I suggest Richmond and Geelong would have a very good look.  Both will have highly paid players retiring in the next few years so will have money to splash.

An added attraction to all clubs is he is an RFA so they don't need to give up draft picks. 

Not making a case for him to go but just saying he will be an attractive get for any club.

When Rich and Geel highly paid players retire they will become struggling clubs. 

I am suggesting he won’t be starting midfield for a successful club.